Global partnership aims to develop pest-resistant sugarcane
The move aims to discover new molecules and use innovative technology to biologically control sugarcane pests.
PlantArcBio is an ag-biotech company engaged in R&D in the field of gene discovery and biological components for improving plant traits, intended primarily for use in the agricultural industry.
It has two platforms – one designed to discover novel genes that can enhance various target traits in crops, helping to adapt agricultural plants to climate change and other challenge. These novel genes are found by taking samples from soils in extreme environments such as the Dead Sea.
The other platform rapidly scans and tests tens of thousands of potential genetic enhancements directly within plants to identify the optimal locations for gene editing. It therefore aims to serve as a preliminary tool for the optimal use of CRISPR and other gene-editing technologies.
Both platforms are aimed at improving crop traits such as yield enhancement, drought resistance, herbicide tolerance, and insect resistance. It is also developing RNAi-based external applications for crop protection and yield enhancement.
These technologies are part of PlantArcBio's mission to address global food security by adapting plants to climate change and promoting sustainable agriculture.
Its partners include fertiliser producer ICL Group, the supplier Gadot-Agro, seed company KWS, TMG in Brazil, Bioceres in Argentina, Rallis (a subsidiary of TATA) in India, and other seed and agri-business companies.
The Centro de Tecnologia Canavieira (CTC), or Sugarcane Technology Center, is a Brazilian organization focused on research and development in the sugarcane industry. The company's portfolio includes high-yielding and pest-resistant sugarcane varieties. It also has the largest sugarcane germplasm bank in the world, with more than 5,000 varieties.
Genetic technology to develop a new method for controlling harmful pests
The latest collaboration intends to use PlantArcBio’s expertise in gene discovery and biological components, with CTC’s expertise in sugarcane genetic technology to develop a new method for controlling harmful pests.
According to the Brazilian Ministry of Agriculture, 1.8 billion tonnes of sugarcane are produced worldwide every year on 27 million hectares of arable land.
Brazil is the leading sugarcane producer in the world with around 40% of world’s sugarcane production, and the second largest producer of ethanol with 26% of the global production. Sugarcane plays a significant role in Brazil energy transition strategy, already accounting for more than 15% of the country’s total energy matrix and being in the forefront of discussions as the most relevant crop for renewable energy applications.
However, sugarcane pests severely affect sugarcane productivity each year, with hundreds of millions of dollars in damage, jeopardising the yield in increasing agricultural regions.
With this partnership, CTC and PlantArcBio hope to accelerate innovation in crop protection technologies, enabling farmers to grow healthier and more resilient sugarcane crops to accelerate the energy transition.
“Developing novel technologies that can effectively control sugarcane critical pests is a top priority for CTC in order to maximise yield for our customers, while promoting sustainable agriculture,” said Sabrina Chabregas, CTC’s R&D director.
“At CTC we have the vision to double sugarcane productivity in Brazil in the next 20 years. We believe this collaboration truly accelerates our ability to innovate towards this vision.”
“We are excited to leverage our expertise in gene discovery and biological components, developed over years of successful collaboration with strategic partners, to expand our technology into sugarcane,” added Dr. Dror Shalitin, founder and CEO of PlantArcBio.
“This opportunity allows us to apply our innovative solutions to new areas, furthering our mission to improve agricultural productivity and sustainability and enhance global food security and energy transition.”
